AUV-50 DRAGON VTOL
Attack/Utility Vertical Take Off and Landing
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PRICE
- Unit Cost: $70mil NSD
- DPR: $10bil NSD
Medium/Heavy Airlift
Length: 74 ft
Wingspan: 74 ft
Height: 24 ft
Armament: (1) 25mm Cannon
(2) Bay (4 hardpoints per bay + 4 Stinger/Hellfire Hardpoints)/(32 Stinger/Hellfire Hardpoints)
(2) Wing-Pylon Hardpoints
Defensive Weaponry: (3) .50 Caliber Chain Guns (Side/Rear Doors)
(1) Undercarriage TROPHY System
Flares, Chaff
Radar Range: (Fore) 150 mi
(Sides) 40 mi
(Rear) 40 mi
Empty Weight: 38,000 lbs
Loaded Weight: 52,000 lbs
Max Takeoff Weight: 89,000 lbs
Powerplant: (2) Rolls Royce VX-560 Engines
(2) General Electric SVX-51 Engines
Max Speed: 420 mph
Range: 1,000 mi
Ceiling: 42,000ft
Crew: 3 (Pilot/Gunner-EW/Crew Chief)
Deployment: 24 Soldiers
Other Notes: 2 Bottom opening Rappel-doors
Description
Designed to replace other utility helicopters, the surprisingly stable Dragon dwarfs most other helicopters, mainly in girth. It can even handle small vehicles in it's bay, provided the seating is removed or folded up. Needless to say, when supporting or transporting troops for ground combat missions, it makes an easy target. This aspect was sighted early on, and to counter RPG and other shoulder-mounted Anti-Air fire, it supports an enhanced TROPHY system, able to counter anything that might fire at it from the sides or below, though the top is still somewhat vulnerable from closer distances.
It maintains enough personal weaponry within it's bays to clear out any SAM or Anti-Air sites on it's initial entry, as well as having it's 25mm chain gun for any enemy personnel that might stand in it's way, which is able to track nearly as fast as the gunner can move his head to target with it.
With the advent of improved digital systems relieving much of the load of the operators, the gunner and crew chief both act as Electronic Warfare specialists as well, able to defend against enemy vehicles and SAMs.
For carrier operations, the AUV-50 Dragon can also maintain a good deal of the carrier's necessary Carrier On-Board Delivery Operators, though it's range is not as extensive as previous aircraft; new models are in the works for the UV-50B, which will cover such needs, as well as Midair Refueling, and an EV-50B, which will cover Midair Refueling and AWACS needs.
